You may have no choice but to upgrade, Dajjal. As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows XP. What does it mean?
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It means Microslush deliberately outdates their product and then won't stand behind the previous ones. It means they're evil. It means they saw that Studebaker owners were unable to get replacement parts and thought, "hey, there's a good idea".
Last time I did a software update (I think it was Flash), the thing said I was running Windows 8. When I bought this thing it was Win 7. Is it possible for them to shift horses without telling anyone? Can they actually do that?
My Classic Shell disappeared around the same time, but I was able to get it back...
Built in obsolescence has been an American (and probably European and Asian) marketing ploy for a very very long time. The older monitors aren't compatible with newer computer components. Older DVD players become less and less able to play the newer formatted DVDs and won't work at all with the newer TVs. Etc. Auto makers stop making parts for older model automobiles. I don't think Microsoft is 'evil' because they use the same strategies when they bring new products onto the market.
But while Windows 8 has features that are irrelevant (and sometimes annoying) to our laptops and desktop PCs, it has been a great interface for those using hand held mobile devices and of course that was the strategy--something we could use on our old fashioned computers and also bring in all the high tech world out there. Windows 8 is not intuitive for those of us who grew up with the older operating systems, but once you learn how to access what you need, it isn't all that user unfriendly. And with one click of the mouse, you are right back into your old familiar desktop configuration.
One thing I really enjoy Windows 8 is that on the initial 'home' screen, all you have to do is click on a blank spot anywhere, and start typing for whatever you're looking for and what you want to do, and voila!!! There it is or a whole string of options to pick from is offered. And for internet searches, you don't have to open up Bing or Chrome or Firefox or any other search engine to do them.